Bendigo set for the sky as Qantas touches down

The Victorian Government has helped secure a historic Qantas service between Bendigo and Sydney.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan and Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards were at Bendigo Airport for the inaugural touchdown of the Q300 turboprop aircraft.

The return service will operate six days a week and attract up to 14,560 inbound visitors to the thriving regional centre each year – that’s more jobs for locals, more opportunities for Bendigo businesses and a big win for tourism.

The Victorian Government’s $5 million upgrade of Bendigo Airport has helped make the landmark Qantas service a reality.

The redevelopment included an extended and widened runway – a critical step towards securing the QantasLink passenger service.

The Victorian Government is also boosting passenger facilities and getting behind a marketing campaign to promote the new service and everything the Greater Bendigo region has to offer.

The flagship service will create 25 new local jobs and inject an additional $2.8 million into the regional economy in its first year of operation alone.

Bendigo is one of regional Victoria’s most popular destinations, attracting visitors from all over Victoria and Australia – and regular passenger flights to and from Sydney will grow visitation even further.

In the year ending June 2018, interstate visitors poured 20 per cent more into regional Victoria’s economy than the previous 12 months, taking total spending to $1.5 billion.